The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the launching of badminton shuttlecocks.
Many sports utilize machines for performing a competitive movement in order to provide practice for its players. For instance, a wide variety of ball throwing machines employ counter rotating wheels that have been utilized in the past for activities such as tennis, ping pong, and baseball. These machines automatically launch the balls at different speeds, styles, trajectories. The use of the machines permits a player to practice without requiring a partner or, allows an instructor to dedicate more of his or her time and focus on a player or group of players being trained, and allows an instructor to provide instruction on more than one court at the same time.
However, in the game of badminton, the shape of a shuttlecock is much more complex and is naturally inconsistent with that of a spherical ball. A shuttlecock is a high-drag projectile with an open conical shape. The cone is formed from approximately sixteen overlapping feathers, usually goose or duck and from the left wing only, embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather. The shuttlecock's shape makes it extremely aerodynamically stable. These unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently than balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed compared to other racquet sports. Regardless of initial orientation, it will turn to fly cork first, and remain in the cork-first orientation.
It has been proposed in the art to provide machines for launching shuttlecocks. However, due to the irregularities of the shuttlecock's quality and shape, it has been a challenge to provide an apparatus that is reliable, consistent, accurate, low maintenance, and cost efficient.
The present invention provides a device for reducing these problems. The difficulties inherent in the art are therefore overcome in a way which is simple and efficient, while providing better and more advantageous results.